DOMINO - Eustass Kid x Reader

CHAPTER SIXTY TWO: Pretty Pretty

I made sure to wake up as early as possible the next morning, knowing that it would be my only chance to speak to Killer before breakfast.

All night I tossed and turned, worried that he'd sneak off at the crack of dawn and leave without saying goodbye. Sure, I wanted a break from the Kid Pirates, but I still wanted to hold onto a part of them while I was away.

As expected, Killer was already up, walking down the hall with his hands neatly tucked into the pockets of his jeans.
"H..Hey, Killz! Wait up!" I sprinted up to him, nearly tripping my own feet, and he held his arms ready to catch me if I did.

"Mornin'. You're up...concerningly early. The sun's barely showing." Killer glanced over to the window, and I followed his gaze, seeing the bleeding hues of the sunrise over the watery horizon.
"Yeah, well, I wanted to talk with you."

May as well just jump right into it...

The man's body language was rather stiff, and I could see his hands fidgeting in the bulges of his pockets.
"What did you want to talk about?" I couldn't blame him for being sceptical, considering our last serious topic of conversation.

"There...isn't much going on in terms of pirating right now, while, uh, while Kid gets back on his feet, so I was wondering..." Why was I so nervous about asking? It wasn't like a confession or anything.
"Wondering what..?" Killer urged me to continue.
"Wondering...if you'd consider maybe, uh...staying on Water 7 for a while..?"

He's going to say no. Of course he is. I don't know why I even asked.

Killer heaved a sigh as he pulled his hands out of his pockets, reaching to ruffle my already messy bed-hair.
"You know I can't do that, (Y/N). I'm not welcome here, and Kid needs me, no matter how much of an asshole he's being right now..."

I deflated, looking down at the gap between my bare feet and his boots.
"But you are welcome here...Icy said so..." I murmured, shifting from one foot to the other. "You said you were done. Over it. I just thought that maybe you needed a break too..."

Killer removed his hand from my head and moved closer to the window, looking out over the vista.
"I'll admit, it's nice here...and a break sounds really good...but I have responsibilities. The only reason I'm hesitant to go is because I don't want to leave you alone, but at the same time, it's why I wanted to leave as soon as possible..."

Ouch. I get it, but ouch.

I sidled up next to him, choosing to just look down at the windowsill instead of at him.
"Yeah, that makes sense..." I sighed, trying to force myself not to lay on any intentional guilt. "Sorry, it was selfish to ask. I'm just gonna miss you..."

Killer puffed out a breath, tapping the toe of his boot against the wall lightly, and I could feel his eyes move over to me.
"How about...I stay for a week? Just one. To make sure you settle back in, and to take a breather for myself. Then I have to to back. Understand?"

He wasn't prepared for the way I jumped into him, hanging with my arms around his neck and I beamed, although still somehow looking tired.
"Yes! I totally understand! Thank you!"

I felt Killer's shoulders stiffly jostle as he awkwardly held me, knowing that with my luck I'd fall flat on my ass if I were to let go.
"Don't thank me. Seriously. You're not the only one being selfish..."

My chest just fluttered...but that's just because I'm happy he's staying, obviously...I think...

He held me up for a while before quickly placing me back on the floor, taking a step away, turning and continuing down the hall.
"Uh...you hungry? I'll make us breakfast."